To go running alone at night in the park

[MamaGhina]

YABU - why on earth would anyone think this is ok
YANBU - anyone should be able to run at night alone

Have been running in the evening in my local park. It’s a London borough, fairly safe but the park has no lighting and a number of exits and entrances. Impossible to see who else is in the park. I take a torch mainly so I don’t get tangled in any dog walkers leads but generally the park is quiet at night. The torch means my location is obvious to anyone else in the park and obvious I am alone.

Every single person I have told that I do this is surprised, says I am mad or it’s dangerous. That I shouldn’t run alone, I need to find someone to run with or run during the day. I don’t want to run during the day because the park is busy, I end up bumping into loads of people I know and I just want to get on with my run. It’s not always convenient to go during the day, then shower, do hair etc. I prefer to run at night and then shower, get ready for bed. I don’t want to find someone to run with, have to wait for them, meet them, make chit chat etc I want to run to my own schedule.

FWIW I’m female, fairly small, mid 40s.

YABU
When I’ve run in the dark after work, inner London borough, I always keep to streets. In daylight I used to run in Regents Park but ended up there one winter evening at 5 pm and didn’t feel safe at all.

I would do this. The risk is tiny.

Google “rape London park” - unfortunately, there are lots reported (and probably plenty more never reported - I see a lot of yellow signs locally that never make The Guardian).

I run at night on residential roads (8-9pm), but no I wouldn’t run through an unlit park at night for any money. It is riskier, because there are more drunk/high/homeless people in the park at night, and fewer “normal” people to come to your aid. On a street I can (and have) run into a shop, or bang on somebody’s door for help, and there are more likely to be people at bus stops etc.

I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't feel safe and I wouldn't want my teenage daughters doing it but it's your choice..

Because I don't get cat called and I don't get unwanted attention ... not saying I'm immune but I don't feel as targeted, no one has ever commented or said anything to me when I run. I do know that many women have been harassed or had unwanted attention. I put that down to my appearance rather than good fortune. 🤔

It’s right there in the OP @longwayoff mid 40s. If you’d read the updates you’d also have seen I’ve already said I’ll stick to the lit roads going forwards.

Surely it depends on the park. Hyde park, probably ok.....Crystal Palace park probably not but will be shut anyway. Which park is it?

I live right next to a park and wouldn't go through it in the dark.

I do go walks alone at night, but the park is pushing it.

My partner was a victim of 'wrong place, wrong time' sort of crime. Prior to that, believed in the general good of people and safety of walking around without paying much attention.

At the incident, which occurred at 6pm on a winters dark evening, loads of people coming and going, (understandably) nobody helped and they were very very lucky to survive. They absolutely believed it could never happen to them and I was accused of being paranoid for wanting to be cautious. It does happen, even though you really really want to believe it could never.

Stay safe. Lots of people are arseholes with no cares or concern for others' lives.

Nobody should be running in a poorly lit area.

Millions of people live, work and pursue leisure activities in poorly lit areas.
Do you think they never go out alone from 4pm during the winter months?
Running doesn't pose any more risk than other activities.

Congratukations, this may be the most Mumsnetty response of the entire thread.

Perhaps we have different definitions of "poorly lit". Parks and country roads without street lighting are poorly lit (or not lit at all). Main streets with street lamps are fine.

Running absolutely poses more of a risk than other activities. You're one wet leaf or piece of litter away from slipping and twisting your ankle when running, which you could avoid if you could actually see where you're going.

Unless you think I live somewhere with enternal sunshine, I am also one of the millions who lives, works and persues leisure activities after 4pm on winter evenings.

There are definitely risks which needs to be weighed up for running in a park at night., just as there are with going out on the roads (or indeed being a couch potato). People are often more aware of the risks of things they don't do which can skew their judgement, plus attacks in parks get far more publicity than road accidents which are more common.

There are some easy precautions that can reduce the risks of running in a park at night - vary your route and timing, be careful with any tracking apps you use e.g. strava so you don't broadcast your runs, carry an alarm or have a live tracker just in case. Maybe even borrow a friend's dog? Having done the easy things, it's a question of whether it's worth the remaining risk and what the alternatives are. Running is such a gift to health and wellbeing that I'd definitely do what you need to do to fit it in; if the evenings is the only time you can run and you feel safe, it's probably manageable make runs in the park part of your week (on an unpredictable schedule etc).

That said, I think it's worth considering why you avoid running in the daytime and whether the risks you are concerned about there are really as much of an issue as you think. People generally don't expect runners to stop and any sensible person will think positively about people of any age, sex, appearance etc taking exercise. If you can just get into the habit of smiling and running on by people you meet without feeling awkward or self-conscious, that way you can enjoy the park scenery as well as the fresh air.

Fairly safe, how do you know this? Many crime’s don’t get reported, even if they do they won’t make the news.

Quiet at night? So no one will be around to hear your screams. Even if they do, your attacker will probably have escaped from one of the many exists.

I’d be interested to know which park this is because they are often closed after dark.

The police strongly advise against this. I live in London and know a number of women who have been approached in parks after dark by police patrols and advised not to enter the park after dark. These are either people jogging or taking a short cut home.

Obviously you should be able to do this as an adult in a free and demoncratic country, but the reality is that you are taking a massive risk. I think you’re mad.

My definition of poorly lit is the same as yours. I stand by what I said to the poster who said "Nobody should be running in a poorly lit area." I disagree.

I have a very bright head torch. I don't think I am any more likely to slip or twist my ankle than when I run in day light. I'm not going to let the amount of light stop me doing what I want to do.

Obviously we all should be able to go running wherever and whenever we like, and everyone also obviously has their own thresholds for how much risk they are willing to take.

Sadly, the reality of the situation is that going running as a lone female in a poorly lit park is potentially risky, more so than going running in the daytime in busy areas. Whether or not you accept that risk is a personal decision, but there are of course things you can do to mitigate the risk - not wearing headphones, making sure someone knows where you are and what time you will be back etc.

Oh good news, OP, stay safe. I speak as one who, albeit with a friend, walked home from a Soho club, 16 years old across Hampstead Heath at 2am. It was densely dark. Once was enough.

We should be able to run(walk, whatever) by ourselves at any time, but whether its safe or not to do so depends on where you are (and perhaps even if it is reasonably safe, is it a risk worth taking?). I'm comfortable walking at night alone where I live, in the forest for instance which has parts that are well lit and parts that aren't, but I wouldn't want to in London. But I don't wear headphones like my bloke does, because I want to be able to hear if someone is coming up behind me.

I sometimes run alone in the dark. Mostly on streets with lighting, but occasionally down paths with no lighting when I wear a head torch to give me visibility.

I'm in my 60s, overweight, short hair (I think the hiding long hair isn't to hide being female but that hair in a ponytail could more easily be grabbed).. I've never been attacked by a stranger even when I walk home from a night out after midnight and I could be home before the next night bus turns up (this is in Edinburgh rather than London)

I'm aware I could be attacked. I'm aware I would get some of the blame for being outside after dark. I'm aware if a rapist really wanted to rape me he could also do that while I'm home alone in my flat.

The one area I did stop running in the winter dark (early afternoon) was along the Water of Leith as I nearly got knocked into the river by a cyclist with no lights or high vis and apparently no care for anyone who didn't jump out of his way.

Years ago, there was a report of a woman being raped in this park at night, so that's stuck in my head since.

There's no-one around to help and people might assume screaming is foxes.

In terms of analogies I minimise the risk of an accident while driving by sticking to the speed limit, never drinking and driving, not using my phone and keeping a safe distance between me and the vehicle in front. Similarly I minimise personal risk while exercising by sticking to daylight hours and avoiding very isolated locations.

I'm in my 60s, overweight, short hair (I think the hiding long hair isn't to hide being female but that hair in a ponytail could more easily be grabbed)..

Ah yes! That makes sense. I think some of the rest of the post was talking about hiding that you're a woman, so I mixed it up, and to be fair tucking my hair into a hat wouldn't conceal that fact even in poor lighting.

I'm more selective about where I run at night. I have a chest torch which improves visibility- my main concern is tripping. The big thing is to trust your instincts, but that applies anywhere, day or night. Varying your habits is the best form of self-protection.

I've been assualted by an aquaintence in a friend's house. It likely could have escalated to rape if I hadn't woken up and hit him back in time. His actions were repulsive enough, but I'm not going to let scum like him dominate my life an ounce more than is necessary.
I was close to having an accìdent on my way to my run today. I braked hard in time responding to the vehicle in front of me, and the two vehicles behind were tardy at responding and fortunately were clear to swerve to avoid piling into my rear end. Should I never drive to a run again? Should I always avoid that road? I can't change the driving habits of others, but at least I managed my part of the risk by maintaining a decent stopping distance.

My walk to work as a student involved a significant overlap of the last walk of a girl who'd been about 18m older than me, and was found murdered metres away from one point of it a couple of years earlier. Her murderer was at large for years. It was dark when I walked to/ from work in the winter, but it had to be done. It was by a significant margin, the most effective route to get to work and public transport would have been expensive and horrifically inefficient.

Be aware of risks of doing something, and its benefits. What are the risks and benefits of modifying what you do or avoiding it or cracking on with something that you benefit from.

It's such a shame that we have to think about things like this. You should be free to be able to do this.

Unfortunately there is a very small element of society which is unsafe.